Impossible mode
Impossible Mode is the hardest difficulty of Dead Space, and can be unlocked by completing the game on any difficulty mode. The experience is notably different from standard (hard or below) difficulties, and provides a more tense, gripping experience. As the title suggests, Impossible Mode is very very hard, but it can be beaten despite it's name. On Impossible Mode, you must be tactical, conservative, and careful. However, to ease this discomfort, you start off the bat with the last suit you used to beat the game that session - meaning a Level 5 RIG, 20% damage reduction and 25 inventory slots straight off, and no need to waste credits on new armors either. Preparation *Impossible Mode is unlocked after completing the game on any difficulty, including easy! Therefore, it is recommended that you at least play through the game on Hard or Medium before attempting it. *There is a possible glitch where you start this mode in the military suit. If you finished a New Game+ (Round 2) in a Level 6 Military Suit, then start a new Impossible mode game immediately after without powering off, you may (not 100% chance of success, many report consistent failure) see Isaac wearing the military suit in the opening cutscene. **It is recommended keeping a save file just before fighting the Hive Mind for this reason. Defeat the Hive Mind, skip the credits, do not save, and immediately start a new Impossible game. Some steps may not be necessary, but the ones outlined above help maximize potential success. ***Note: Merely loading a save right before the boss will not suffice. You must begin and play through Chapter 12 (possibly even from Chapter 11) in the suit in order to trigger. See Talk. **If you plan to buy one of the DLC suits to beat Impossible Mode, the tank suit is your best choice since it can take the most damage. Planning *'Plan ahead.' Choose which weapons you wish to use and focus your meager resources only on them; you should know the locations of each weapon schematic from your prior playthrough. The safety buffer of being able to play around with weapons and see which one you like best does not exist in this mode; misspent power nodes or an insufficient supply of ammo/health packs may hinder progress. **Keep a hitscan weapon like the Plasma cutter , Contact Beam , or Pulse Rifle . **Although counterintuitive, Impossible Mode is the best candidate for a one-gun run with the Plasma Cutter. It is the best weapon cost/benefit wise for ammo consumption, inventory space stacking, and quantity of ammo to kill per ammo pickup. Ammo is relatively cheap to buy from the store, and it fulfills most gameplay requirements admirably. *'Stasis.' Be fluent in its use, and treat it as a weapon. Practice in lesser difficulty modes to hone effective tactics, like stasis-ing multiple enemies at once. Remember to use Stasis frequently. *'Know what it's worth.' Some item pickups are worth more than others. Judge what is the best use of your inventory space to carry/vend, and act accordingly. The table to the right is sorted in descending order by sell price: *'Manage Med Packs.' Financially, it is optimal to sell all medium med packs, and use large med packs when you need to restore 5+ health bars. Strategy *Always save. Every time you come across a save station, use it, because even the weakest of enemies are a threat. *Conserve ammunition. If you have decent aim, improvise, and use Stasis effectively with melee attacks in order to save ammunition for when it is needed. You could also reload save files in certain situations where you used too much ammunition. *In order to maximize ammo efficiency, fire in controlled bursts to the limbs, and avoid the "ammo consuming" secondary fire unless absolutely necessary when using automatic weapons such as the Pulse Rifle or Flamethrower. With precision weapons like the Plasma Cutter, always aim for the limbs of enemies (particularly the arms) to save ammunition and cause more damage to the target. *You may wish to consider using a smaller number of weapons in order to maximize the ammo drops for your guns. However, always make sure you have the gun for the occasion. For example, at least one precision weapon like the Plasma Cutter or Pulse Rifle should be used on drag tentacles, and at least one area-of-effect weapon such as the Force Gun or Flamethrower should be used against crowds of enemies or Swarmers. Also, try not to bring the Flamethrower into vacuum areas, or the Ripper into areas where you will be fighting at a distance, as these weapons will become dead weight. *Learn from your mistakes. If you die, for example, due to the Slasher that leapt on you that was just around the corner and cut you to the floor, think of other ways of approaching the problem rather than running in and bludgeoning it with the butt of your gun. *If you are low on ammunition, or just wish to conserve it for later use, it is possible to avoid fights by running. Just make sure not to let yourself get mowed down while you're on the run, and briefly defend yourself when you're forced to stop (at a slow door, for example). Trivia *There is no bonus cinematic or extra for completing the game on impossible mode, bar the Achievements and Trophies. Category:Dead Space